'Forced labor' rife in Malaysian electronics factories: reportNearly a third of some 350,000 workers in Malaysia's electronics industry - a crucial link in the international consumer supply chain - suffer from conditions of modern-day slavery such as debt bondage, according to a study funded by the U.S. Department of Labor.

Citigroup Embraces Derivatives as Deals Soar After CrisisIn the past five years, the firm that took the largest U.S. bank bailout of the financial crisis increased the total amount of derivatives on its books by 69 percent, surpassing most U.S. peers and closing the gap with the market leader, JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) At the end of June, Citigroup had $62 trillion of open contracts, up from $37 trillion in June 2009, company filings show. JPMorgan trimmed its holdings 14 percent to $68 trillion.

Iron ore miners battle for survival as 'perfect storm' hitsHigh-cost Australian miners are battling for survival as plunging iron ore prices push many to breaking point, with analysts seeing no significant short-term recovery as Chinese demand for steel wanes in line with sliding property prices.

Economies will inevitably shrink as energy and other resources become more expensive, and in an energy-constrained world, small political/economic units make much more sense. Also watch for more secessionist talk in the US. -- RF

Trust in Mass Media Returns to All-Time LowAfter registering slightly higher trust last year, Americans' confidence in the media's ability to report "the news fully, accurately, and fairly" has returned to its previous all-time low of 40%. Americans' trust in mass media has generally been edging downward from higher levels in the late 1990s and the early 2000s.

According to the Health and Safety Executive, 64 explosions have been reported so far in 2014 compared to 51 for the whole of last year. There were 32 cases in 2012, thus indicating a steady rise over the past few years.